"You can really find some hidden gems in non-league."
Martial Godo is proof of his own declaration, having moved directly from Margate FC to Fulham in March 2022.
The forward's transfer instantly elevated Godo through six tiers of the English football pyramid, as he swapped the Isthmian League at level seven for the Premier League.
To celebrate Non-League Day on 22 March, an annual celebration of the football pyramid, Godo returned to his previous club where he was reunited with his former team-mate, now Margate player-manager Ben Greenhalgh.
"It was a great experience for me and it made me into who I am today," Godo told Fulham's official website, speaking about his stint at Margate from a seat inside their Hartsdown Park ground.
"It plays a big part in how I play today as well. There are a lot of things that you learn in a changing room, on the pitch as well with the physicality and the tactics.
"It's much more raw. But it's about doing anything that you need to do to get the three points and move up the league."
Watch Godo's return to Margate on Instagram
'He just had a spark'
Greenhalgh explained how Godo's journey to Fulham began in non-league football.
"So Martial, when he was 15, came and trialled at Dartford [where I was playing at the time]. It was an obvious yes for us because he just had a spark," said Greenhalgh.
"Luckily enough, we managed to get him down here at Margate. He was sort of on a loan period, like a dual registration, where he was playing for the [Dartford] Academy still on a Wednesday and playing here for Margate on a Saturday.
"He came in at the right time. He scored, I think, when he first came on for us and then from there, he just sort of went to new levels. I think that was because of how much he wanted it and how much he still wants it now, because we can still see that in his game now."
Greenhalgh recalled how scouts from several Premier League clubs came to watch Godo in non-league action.
"I think non-league is just an absolute transfer window," he added. "When Martial started playing really well and getting his name out there, you were rocking up to Margate and suddenly there was Fulham there, Arsenal there and Manchester City there."
Godo's gratitude
Godo played 22 matches for Margate before making his big move to Fulham, initially going into the club's Premier League 2 side. Marco Silva handed him his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Crawley Town in August 2022.
"I don't know if people know this but I think I even cried the next day," Godo revealed. "It was a surreal moment because it was like everything I had been working for when I was at Margate. It was the icing on the cake for me and my family as well."
The pacey forward gained more senior experience in 2022/23 during a loan spell at Wigan Athletic, where he registered four goals and four assists in 34 League One appearances.
To date, Godo has featured in five first-team matches for Fulham and, after signing a new contract at Craven Cottage last September, he remains grateful for the platform that Margate gave him.
"Going into men's football [with Margate] from academy football [with Dartford], the physicality taught me to ride out a challenge. I like to go past players, so that really did help me," he said.
"I think what makes non-league special to me is the authenticity, from the pitches - you could be playing on mud or 4G - to the changing rooms. There's a lot you can learn.
"A young player in that situation, like I was, has got to keep believing in themselves and trust the process."
How the Premier League supports Non-League
Margate has benefited from £160,000 from the Premier League Stadium Fund since 2020 that has enabled them to build new changing rooms, an external path and a retractable tunnel.
In total through the Premier League Stadium Fund, more than £207million has been invested into improving the stadiums and facilities of clubs in the EFL, National League System and Women’s Football Pyramid since 2000. Over 5,900 grants have been provided to more than 1,000 clubs across more than 100 leagues.
